Adesanya praises Du Plessis after Usman victory

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has given credit to Dricus Du Plessis after his strong unanimous decision win over Kamaru Usman. Adesanya called it the best performance he has seen from the South African fighter.

Du Plessis took control of the five-round fight against former welterweight champion Usman. He secured a clear victory on Saturday night.

Even though he is friends with Usman and has had issues with Du Plessis in the past, Adesanya said he was impressed by Du Plessis' performance.

“It is the best I have seen Dricus look. He looked less out of position when he finished punching, when he initiated punching. Sometimes he still did his thing, but he looked really good. Some of the shots he was throwing, the selection, and the timing of the knee for that single-leg, that was a good chess move from their team,” Adesanya shared on his YouTube channel.

“I wanted Kamaru to get it done, but again, it just shows how good Dricus is. And good on him.”

Adesanya and Du Plessis had a heated rivalry before, focused on comments about African identity. This made Saturday’s fight even more significant, but their relationship has improved since then.

Adesanya also mentioned that the fight had broader implications for African representation in mixed martial arts. He noted that whenever two African fighters headline a card, the continent tunes in, no matter the event's level. He believes this trend will help grow the talent pool in African MMA.